Physics Course Transfer Policy
Physics Course Transfer Policy
The Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Georgia recommends that students take their introductory physics courses here if at all possible. The Department is continuously improving these courses to serve the needs of the students. We pay attention to providing the necessary physics ideas for further study in other fields (for example, optics for medical students, statics and dynamics for engineering students) as well as to enabling students to understand science-related issues confronting a person living in a modern democracy.
The Department however recognizes that it will be necessary for some students to take their physics courses elsewhere. Here we explain the Departmental policy on transfer of these courses.
University of Georgia System Schools
Introductory courses taken at system institutions (click here for a list) which have the same number as our course, are always transferable. For example if you take PHYS 1112 at Valdosta State, it will transfer in as our PHYS 1112. (Note that most other system institutions number our 1211-2 as 2211-2; this is an institutional option and the two sequences are identical.)
If you take a course which has a different number than one of our courses, transfer is not guaranteed. The course needs to be evaluated by the Physics Undergraduate Advisor; if there is sufficient overlap with one of our courses, credit will be given.
Core Courses from University of Georgia System Schools
A frequent question sounds something like this: "I took course XXX at Abraham Baldwin College (or some other System school) and it was in the science core for business (or some other major) students. How do I get credit for this course at UGA?" The answer is, that you need to contact the main advisement office for your College here at UGA (that is the College of Arts and Sciences, or the College of Business, etc). There is an administrative mechanism to transfer core courses between system schools, our Department is not involved.
Other Universities - Semester System
Transfer is not guaranteed. First check with Admissions --- ask to speak to an evaluator. They have a database of transfer equivalencies for many schools. If they do not have information about the school or course you want to transfer, you will be sent to the Physics Department to have the course evaluated. If the course has sufficient overlap with a course offered here, you will be granted credit.
Other Universities - Quarter System
The ordering of topics in a quarter-based physics sequence is quite different than that in a semester-based sequence. Thus single-course transfer for quarter-based courses is not allowed. There is only one mechanism for transfer of quarter-based courses. If you have taken a three-quarter sequence of physics courses at another school, and the syllabi for these courses include all the material in our two-semester course, transfer credit will be granted for the appropriate two-semester sequence (i.e. PHYS 1111/1112 or PHYS 1211/1212) at UGA. Again: physics courses taken under the quarter system elsewhere do not transfer unless a full three-quarter sequence was completed.